The university experience is never simply black-and-white, it is one which takes a lot of adjusting to settle into a rhythm, and with the Covid-19 pandemic, tertiary education has only become tougher, forcing students to come to terms with their passions and reevaluate their choices of study.
There is no shame in starting a different degree before completing your first undergraduate qualification. If that is what you really want to do, universities have made it possible for you to change your mind.
Nonetheless, there is no single universal guideline to change your degree, as processes may vary from institution to institution, but there are some basic steps that the student can take upon themselves to become aware of before taking that leap.
- First, one should carefully consider why they want to change their degree and whether there are other ways to modify their degree by changing modules or courses within their programme before completely transforming it.
- If the student deduces that their only option is to completely change their degree, there are a number of other things to consider in that regard, including whether or not a student’s credits can be transferred to the new degree. For those whose studies are being funded, it would be wise to consider whether or not your financial aid, bursary, scholarship, student loan, or any type of external funding will be able to support this change.
- Next, the student would need to consider whether they meet the requirements for the qualification they would like to transfer to, and this may require a consideration of the student’s matric results, NBT results, and their performance thus far within their current degree.
- Next, one would typically need to approach a course advisor or some or other faculty advisor to receive necessary information regarding this change, and to advise on the way forward. This is also necessary for receiving information regarding whether or not faculty coordinators will be able and willing to approve of the transfer..
- Depending on the institution or circumstances, the student may be required to partake in an interview with whomever is in charge of Undergraduate Affairs to verify that they are eligible to make the switch. Some institutions may not require an interview, but might expect the student to fill in an application form with all the relevant information for transfer.
- Even then, the student may be put on a waiting list depending on the space available within their preferred degree.
- It is important to note that different institutions have different standards of requirements for such changes, and students may be denied entry into a different degree based on the amount of time spent in their initial degree and how much time will be spent on their newly chosen degree, as some faculties allow students a certain amount of years to complete their studies.
- There is also the possibility that if the student does decide to make this switch once the academic year is well underway, they may still have to cover charges accrued for their initial degree, once again dependent on the institution.
These are just a few points that are to be considered when applying to change your degree specialisation whilst you are in the midst of completing it. The points above only highlight some general things to take note of, but each institution will have their own, more intricate layout of their own processes and requirements for transfer, so it is important for students to pursue information regarding this directly from their own institutions.